


Bien-Aimé

by eexiee, eightredstars, gashinaya (naemamdero), krisuho, skywxxrds



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M, krisuho fanproject
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-28
Updated: 2017-05-28
Packaged: 2018-11-05 20:36:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11021115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eexiee/pseuds/eexiee, https://archiveofourown.org/users/eightredstars/pseuds/eightredstars, https://archiveofourown.org/users/naemamdero/pseuds/gashinaya, https://archiveofourown.org/users/krisuho/pseuds/krisuho, https://archiveofourown.org/users/skywxxrds/pseuds/skywxxrds





	1. Will You be My Prince?

 

The aroma of coffee wafts in the air, along with the collection of hushed voices and banters of young people, mostly university students.

_This place isn’t bad_ , Wu Yifan thinks.

It’s a bit far from their dorms near Yonsei. But a little adventure away from that place, towards the stylish streets of Gangnam, can be healthy sometimes. If not for Luhan’s prodding, he won’t even bother being cramped up in his room.

“This place is designed for students who love books but would love a little noise. Unlike the strict silence we get by staying at the library,” Luhan’s friend and resident barista, Minseok, states as if he is introducing the place to tourists. Which is exactly what is happening, minus the walking around part. “But usually, the students just want a cheap place to hang out and study. Since most of them are broke.”

One of the frames on the wall has a quote: _Talking is not prohibited but silence is encouraged._ Another frame says: _Listen to the books as they tell you their story._

Classy, conducive to learning, comfortable. Fresh flowers planted on small pots on the wood-furnished tables, cozy seats and adequate lighting.

The coffee ain’t bad, either. Yifan decides, while sipping on his cup of green tea latte, that this is going to be his favorite place in Seoul. After his bedroom, of course.

Meanwhile, Luhan continues to take photos of the venue, occasionally stealing a candid photo of Minseok talking to Yifan. But mostly of Minseok being... Minseok.

“Do you have books on relationship advice?” Yifan asks.

Minseok hums, tapping his fingers on the table. “I’m not the bookish type, but I believe Joonmyun will be able to help you. He owns half of the books in this café, says he gets sad when they’re all gathering cobwebs in his house.” He preens over to check the counter. “Sorry, I got customers. Try looking for Joonmyun at the books section, he should be there.” He then rushes over to entertain the ladies at the counter.

There is a short flight of stairs at one side of the café, which Yifan assumes to be the books section. He ascends and discovers rows of shelves with books of varying thickness sitting upon them. Some books, he finds as he walks through the aisles, are relatively new. Their pages sparkling white. A few books though, have acid eating away at the edges of the pages, time dyeing them pale yellow.

But what garners his attention is the soft voice of a young man tucked away in a far corner of the café. He is drawn to it, like a sailor being enticed by singing mermaids at the rocky shores.

And he spots the person he has been looking for by the shelves. Auburn hair kissed by the sun coming from the small windows above the taller shelves. Lips as pink as they are healthy. And eyelashes capturing dusts that seem to glitter like stars in the air.

Beside the young man is a little girl who is earnestly paying attention to the story that the former is narrating. Yifan listens intently behind one of the shelves but with space enough to watch the two people. The voice of the storyteller is nothing but melodious.

“Then, if a little man appears who laughs, who has golden hair and who refuses to answer questions, you will know who he is. If this should happen, please comfort me. Send me word that he has come back,” the storyteller narrates.

“Thank you, Joonmyun oppa!” the little girl says, kissing the older teen’s cheek and earning a chuckle from him.

“You’re welcome, little princess,” the boy replies. “Come back again so we can read the other story books together, alright?”

The little girl blushes at the title that the teen had given her and diligently rushes away towards a lady who was waiting at the bottom of the stairs. The little girl waves one last time at the storyteller, and the lady, Yifan assumes as the girl’s mother, gives him a bow before exiting the café.

“Hello,” the storyteller draws his attention again. “How may I help you?”

Instead of answering that he was looking for a book, Yifan saunters towards the storyteller, and gazes at him for a full minute.

“Please go out with me,” Yifan says without reprieve, voice almost blurting out, garnering a few heads from the customers by the pantry.

He catches Luhan covering his face with a book, and Minseok mouthing an ‘idiot’ at him. When he shifts his attention back, the smaller male blinks, confusion glistening in his eyes, and an unuttered _oh_ smudging his lips.

Yifan suddenly realizes what he has done, and wants to melt into goo right then and there.

_There’s no turning back now, Wu._

Yifan toughens himself, mentally punching his own face, then scrunching his eyebrows together to shield the tint of embarrassment pooling on his cheeks.

“But you don't even know me, mister,” the teen answers. “You don’t know a single thing about me. You don't even know my name, what my personality is, what I like and what I don’t. You don’t even know if I like tall people with thick eyebrows and blond hair. Or if I’m straight or gay.”

Yifan swallows. “I can tell you’re a kind-hearted person. If not, then that little girl won’t even bother talking to you. And I can tell that you like reading. You read as if you’re speaking for the books, or the stories that come alive with the words in those pages.” Fumbling on the belt hoops of his jeans, he continues, “And if you don’t want to go out with me, then we have a lot of time to get to know each other!”

The auburn-haired male chuckles, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. “You’re an interesting person,” he says, closing the book in his hands and slipping it onto the gap between the other books on the shelf. Yifan manages to read the title; it’s in Korean but he knows enough to understand: _The Little Prince._

“My name is Kim Joonmyun,” the boy beams at him, and Yifan had to blink because the luster of his smile is just too much for his eyes. “Pick a book, and let’s talk about it over coffee, shall we?”

“Actually, I'm... looking for a book on relationship advice?” he says, scratching the back of his neck while feeling the warmth creeping up his cheeks.

Joonmyun smiles, and the way his eyes curve into smooth crescents sends Yifan’s heart dancing alight. “I know just the right book for that.”

 

 

**ʚɞ**

 

 

Yifan didn’t expect to get a self-help book on how to date. What he gets, however, is not a book about how to date, but a book made of poems.

_I Wrote This for You_ is the title of the book. Such a strange reference book for relationships, Yifan mentally comments as he leafs through the pages. Maybe Joonmyun speaks in riddles, he supposes.

But how can he bring himself to speak up when the lilt in Joonmyun's voice, as has been described by the poems, sends his heart dancing inside his chest?

How can he refuse when his ears amplify Joonmyun’s lovely peal of laughter?

 

 

**ʚɞ**

 

 

The thing with book cafés is that some of them don’t allow borrowing of books outside the café. And it so happens that Minseok’s café is one of those few.

Yifan is not complaining though, because that way he could get to read some books for free. And undeniably, see Joonmyun and get to talk to him. Luhan thinks Yifan is being ridiculous. But in reality, he is more than happy because it won’t be difficult to convince him when he feels like visiting Minseok.

 

 

**ʚɞ**

 

 

The next time he visits, he continues the book that Joonmyun has recommended.

Joonmyun helps out in the café frequently. His job often involves organizing books that have been shelved wrongly, assisting Minseok in making coffee, and delivering them to the rightful customers. Sometimes even chatting with them. Most of the discussions are about the books in the café.

Yifan finds him endearing, likens him to be the prince of books. When Joonmyun catches him looking, he pretends to read, covering his gummy grin behind the book.

“So how do you find the book so far?” Joonmyun asks as he casually takes the seat in front of Yifan. No permission, no hesitation.

“It’s very interesting,” Yifan answers. “But there are a few words I can’t seem to understand. Care to help me out?”

Joonmyun moves closer to glance at the words Yifan has written down on a small notebook. In one corner of the page, though, Yifan has purposely written down his number. It’s impossible for Joonmyun to miss it.

Yifan catches Joonmyun squint. And instead of fishing out his phone, the latter pretends not to notice his number and proceeds to give definitions to the words he has written at the center.

 

 

**ʚɞ**

 

 

The second book he reads is titled _Like Water for Chocolate._ He has personally hand-picked this one. Joonmyun smiles widely, like he has won something valuable, when he sees Yifan reading it in the café.

In between the time Yifan writes down his number on the notebook and when he finishes the first book, Joonmyun still hasn’t called or texted him.

 

 

**ʚɞ**

 

 

“Hey,” Joonmyun greets him. Yifan accidentally elbows his cup of Iced Choco. A hiss resounds, then follows a clang of the cup on the floor. The blond immediately stands up, fetching the precious book out of the puddle on the table. Good thing he’s wearing black denim pants, else he’d be in really big trouble.

Yifan doesn’t even notice when Joonmyun runs to retrieve some rags. The next thing he knows, the brunet is already offering him a small towel.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It’s okay,” Yifan assures, taking the towel from Joonmyun’s hands and wiping himself dry. Unbeknownst to Joonmyun, Yifan slips a post-it note in between the folds of the towel when he returns it: _You had me at Preface._

 

 

**ʚɞ**

 

 

 

The third book is entitled _You Slay Me._

“So, you like dragons?” Joonmyun queries, eyes wide with expectancy as if the one he is talking to is a person about to embark on an adventure. Yifan finds it impossible not to answer.

“Yes, I do. Especially when they’re enormous and tamed. Gentle, flying giants.”

It’s been months since Yifan has asked Joonmyun out. Months after he has given the storyteller his number. Months after he has embarrassed himself over spilled chocolate.

At this point, Yifan has learned a lot about Joonmyun, that the latter likes Café Americano, shivers when the air conditioner blows too-cold, is talkative, gets easily excited over anime and manhwa, and is not short...tempered.

Height difference has never bothered Yifan, since most people are shorter than him anyway. But he finds it endearing when Joonmyun huffs his cheeks when Yifan beats him to a book at the topmost level of a shelf. And he finds Joonmyun cute when he suddenly stops talking when Yifan mentions his height during their occasional bantering.

Many months have passed, and although Yifan has only seen the tip of Joonmyun’s iceberg, he has come to a conclusion.

Joonmyun is nothing but unparalleled.

The afternoon sunlight filters through floor-to-ceiling glass walls, its attenuated light striking his coppery strands.

Joonmyun chuckles, “Just like you.”

And Yifan tries not to melt when the other male’s eyes narrow into happy crescents. Cute, too cute.

“Hey, Joonmyun! Help me out here!” Minseok shouts from the counter.

“Coming, hyung!” Joonmyun answers, smiling weakly at Yifan, signalling him that he needs to go.

It is just the perfect timing for Yifan to carry out his next plan. Taking out a Sharpie from his pocket, he neatly scribbles on the ceramic surface of the mug of his almost-done green tea latte:

 

 

_**I** Wrote This for You_

_**Like** Water for Chocolate_

_**You** Slay Me_

_**(Can I call you mine?)** _

 

 

Carefully, he places the mug in front of him such that when Joonmyun returns, he won’t be able to miss it.

Joonmyun comes back all cheery. And Yifan has to remind himself to breathe and pray for Lady Luck to bless him.

The moment Joonmyun slumps his back against the chair and sets his eyes on Yifan’s mug, his joyous face warps into plain indifference. He clenches his hand, and abruptly stands up. And in long, quick strides, leaves the table, an askewed chair and a bewildered Yifan behind.

It is all too fast and unaccounted for. Yifan hastily gets on his feet, and is about to chase Joonmyun when Minseok grabs his hand.

“Sit down, give him some space. He’ll talk to you when he’s calmed down,” Minseok tells him, voice laced with warning, hand pressing heavily on his shoulder.

Puffing his cheeks, he deflates back to his seat, and attempts a distraction by reading the remaining pages of the third book. His eyes dart back and forth on one line, not making any progress at all.

 

 

**ʚɞ**

 

 

One hour later, his phone rings. It’s a text message from an unknown number, but Yifan assumes to be Joonmyun’s.

_Book section. Same corner when we first met._

The blond straightens up, takes a deep breath, and strolls towards the stairs. He may be muttering prayers under his nose with every step he takes as he ascends.

 

 

**ʚɞ**

  

 

“You think I didn’t notice, did you?” Joonmyun says, sternly, with his hands folded in front of his chest. “The number on your notebook. The post-it note on the towel. The title of the books. The words on that mug.”

“Did I cross a line this time?” Yifan asks sheepishly, rubbing his forearm. “If I did, I’m sorry. I… will try to be more patient and—”

“I like you too.”

The unwarranted response earns a blink from the blond. “I’m sorry?”

“You’re one unique guy,” Joonmyun drops his arms and saunters to Yifan, “just a bit clumsy with those limbs, too cheesy with those lips and hands, and too grumpy with that face.” Grabbing Yifan’s wrists, he tiptoes, perching his chin on the blond’s shoulder, such that his lips are close to the taller guy’s ear. “But I like you.”

This isn’t the confession Yifan had in mind. But it’s better than what he has expected. His chest is about to burst, but it’s good that Joonmyun’s embrace is keeping him from breaking apart. He has little control on the grin stretching on his face, so he just burrows his nose onto Joonmyun’s hair.

Joonmyun smells like fresh apples amidst the sea of acid-washed papers tucked on the shelves.

And as he stares at the sight before him, he sees the spine of _The Little Prince_ sparkling amidst the light of the sun.

 

 


	2. Bright Lights

 

"Surprise me," echoes in Yifan's mind. That was the answer Joonmyun gave him when he asked what they were going to do and where they are going to go for their date.

Yifan keeps pacing back and forth in his dorm just thinking. He's not the type to worry about things like this, but why does he feel like this date needs to be just perfect?  
   
He grabs his prized possession from the bed, a stuffed alpaca named Ace.  
   
"What should I do, Ace?" Yifan asks repeatedly, shaking the poor thing hoping to get answers from it.  
   
"Ack, you wouldn't even know," Yifan throws Ace on the bed, "you're just a stuffed alpaca!"  
   
He sits on his bed, apologizing for abusing Ace like that and he promises never to do it again.  
   
He goes back to pacing because that helps him think. He looks at his slowly filling bookshelf, most of which are self-help books, and grabs the first book without looking at it, and goes to a random page. A cursory look back at the cover tells him that it was his old astronomy textbook and the page he lands on is a picture of a telescope. He remembers a science museum a few miles outside the city. He raises an eyebrow and believes he's thought of the Best Idea Ever.  
   
He sends a text to Joonmyun about their date without giving out any major details. Joonmyun replies that he can’t wait for their date. Yifan is so excited that the night before their date, he’s unable to sleep thinking of Joonmyun.

 

**ʚɞ**  
  


 

As discussed over text, Yifan will pick up Joonmyun from the café. Yifan has even rented a car for their date as they will be hopping from one place to another. He gets out his vehicle first and straightens the sleeves of his white dress shirt and black slacks. He pats his gelled blond hair to check if his hair is still in place. After doing so he heads to the café, filled with both nervousness and excitement.  
   
He spots Joonmyun on a chair, reading. He’s wearing a black dress shirt and jeans. Minseok places two thermoses on a table, while Luhan is busy wiping tables. Yifan waves at Joonmyun, and Joonmyun looks up at him waving back and smiling. He returns the book he read, and Yifan picks up the two thermoses and both head off.  
   
“Have fun you two,” Minseok says.  
   
“Take care!” Luhan adds, as they wave goodbye.  
   
“Where are we going?” Joonmyun asks as they walk to the car.  
   
“It’s a surprise.” Yifan winks.  
   
Joonmyun enters the car, and Yifan does too. Yifan fishes something out of his pocket—a huge handkerchief.  
   
“What’s this?” Joonmyun asks, looking at the hanging handkerchief.  
   
“Wear it as a blindfold,” Yifan says.  
   
Joonmyun sighs but complies anyway. He grabs the blindfold and tightly ties it around his eyes.  
   
“Can you see anything?” Yifan asks while holding out two fingers, Joonmyun shakes his head. He asks again, this time holding out all of his fingers, and Joonmyun confirms he cannot see a thing with another shake of the head. For the last time, Yifan makes a heart sign, and Joonmyun huffs insisting that he really cannot see a thing past the blindfold. Relieved, Yifan starts the car, steps on the gas, and drives to their location.  
   
On their drive to the surprise venue, Yifan asks what book Joonmyun was reading before he arrived. Joonmyun shares that it’s Please Take Care of Mother and discusses to Yifan what he’s read so far. Yifan listens intently to what Joonmyun says.

Joonmyun also talks about the books he has yet to read like: Memoirs of a Geisha and The Time Keeper’s Wife. Yifan says he’s watched Memoirs already, and Joonmyun states he hasn’t, so Yifan suggests they watch it together sometime. Joonmyun agrees, and will tell Yifan once he’s done reading the book. When they run out of other things to talk about in the car, Joonmyun starts singing along to the latest pop songs on the radio, all the while Yifan taps his fingers to the beat of the song. Yifan blushes when he hears Joonmyun’s singing voice It’s as lovely as his normal speaking voice; which makes it a relief that Joonmyun is wearing the blindfold, so he doesn’t have to see the red that paints Yifan’s face.   
   
They arrive at the venue in an hour, Yifan notes.  
   
Joonmyun feels the car has stopped and asks if they have arrived, Yifan answers with an affirmative. Yifan then helps Joonmyun out of the car and guides him somewhere. Yifan opens the backseat and grabs: a picnic mat, a basket, and a head flashlight, leaving jackets there. There is a huge building near where they have parked, but it’s not where they are going. Instead, they head to another area where there is a big telescope hanging out from the building.  
   
“Are we there yet?” Joonmyun asks, swaying his arms, trying to feel for whatever’s near him and Yifan is just guiding him by the shoulder.  
   
“Almost there,” Yifan whispers.  
   
True enough, they reach their destination in a few minutes. Joonmyun stays in place, frozen, while Yifan hurriedly sets the picnic mat on the floor and the basket. He wears the head flashlight, looks for someone, and raises a thumbs-up at them. He runs back to Joonmyun and loosens the makeshift blindfold.  
   
Joonmyun looks around and wonders where they are… a planetarium or a science museum perhaps. He sees Yifan wearing a head flashlight and holding a bunch of index cards He raises an eyebrow and tries not to laugh.  
   
“Lights,” Yifan snaps his fingers and the lights go off.  
   
Immediately, a hologram of stars appears in front of Joonmyun as Yifan narrates about the galaxy and beyond. Joonmyun smiles when he is surrounded by all these stars and tries to catch one. He is in awe that these celestial bodies surround them. They are of different color, shape, and size. Suddenly, the animation switches from a field of stars to planets in the solar system. When a planet comes near Joonmyun, he evades it. Yifan giggles when he sees this and continues narrating. The last animation is a hologram of the whole universe, zooming from different galaxies to another. Joonmyun wishes that he could touch them, but seeing the hologram and Yifan narrating everything about the galaxy is enough.  
   
“And that’s how the universe came to be,” Yifan concludes, peeling off the head flashlight and pocketing the index cards on his back pocket. Joonmyun applauds on Yifan’s discussion. The hologram dissipates and the lights are switched on.  
   
“That was amazing!” Joonmyun remarks, “It’s out of this world.”  
   
Yifan laughs. He then walks to the telescope that sticks out from the building where they are at, and Joonmyun follows him. Yifan tells Joonmyun to take a peek at the skies above them. He does as he is told and leans in to look through the eyepiece. Joonmyun comments that it’s rare to see stars in the city, and to see them through a telescope is magical. Yifan checks his phone to search for something, and breathes a smile of relief that they’re still on schedule.

“Shall we?” Yifan points to the picnic set-up and lets Joonmyun walk over there ahead of him. Yifan gives himself a pat on the back, as the self-help books have told him to. Joonmyun sits first and Yifan follows. Joonmyun looks inside the basket and sees the two thermoses and sandwiches Minseok prepared for them. Yifan hands Junmyeon his Americano, while he takes a sip of his Green Tea Latte.  
   
The two start conversing, about almost everything, but Joonmyun does most of the talking. If there’s anything Yifan picked up from their conversation is that Joonmyun is passionate. Joonmyun talks about the things he loves and he loves doing, and Yifan sees that there’s a glint in Joonmyun’s eyes. They are similar to the stars that flashed right in front of their eyes… it gleams and it twinkles. From talking about his favourite books, manga, anime, and music, Joonmyun seems to describe how much all of it has affected it him. Or maybe it’s just the coffee. He smiles when he talks about them, makes hand gestures, and even asks Yifan his opinion about them. Joonmyun notices that he’s been talking a lot, but Yifan says he doesn’t mind one bit. He likes seeing Joonmyun this way. He’s enchanted by him, and maybe he’s falling in love with the short brunet.  
   
But Joonmyun notices Yifan checking his watch from time to time, and Yifan declares he has another surprise for him. So, the two stand, clean up, and quickly exit because Yifan states it’s going to be a long ride there, and they might miss Yifan’s next and last surprise. As Joonmyun enters the vehicle, Yifan puts the basket and the mat on the backseat and opens the door of the driver’s seat.  
   
“Would I be wearing the blindfold again?” Joonmyun whines, crossing his arms and pouting at Yifan.  
   
Yifan won’t admit it but he thinks Joonmyun is cute this way, but he hands Joonmyun the blindfold anyway, and they set off to their other destination.  
   
Yifan knows the drive there would take two hours, so he times everything—from going to the rest stop and the toll booths—because he wants everything to go the way he wants it.  
   
The whole ride there, Joonmyun sleeps; his head rests on the window. Meanwhile, Yifan picks up the pace when he sees the skies turning a dark blue. According to the GPS, they are only a few more minutes away from their destination. They arrive just in time. Yifan parks the car in an open area and grabs jackets from the backseat. He rushes outside and to wake up Joonmyun from the passenger side.  
   
“Joonmyun,” Yifan says, poking Joonmyun awake.  
   
Joonmyun snorts awake, causing Yifan to chuckle.  
   
“We’re here,” Yifan states. Joonmyun moves from his seat and stands up, with Yifan guiding him.  
   
Joonmyun figures that they are at a beach, from the smell of the sea and the squawk of birds from afar. Yifan places his jackets on his shoulder so he could lead Joonmyun to the beach with his hands. They drag their feet on the sand. Yifan notices that Joonmyun’s teeth are chattering and he’s complaining because of the cold.  
   
“Wait let me put a jacket on you,” Yifan says.  
   
“I can put it on myself, you know. Just because I’m short, doesn’t mean I’m weak!” Joonmyun exclaims, but sneezes right on cue.  
   
Just then, Yifan pulls Joonmyun into a bear hug causing Joonmyun to yelp. He puts a jacket on Joonmyun anyway. A jacket slips from his shoulder and lands on the sand, and Yifan doesn’t pick it up. Instead he looks at Joonmyun, who’s still blindfolded. Joonmyun raises the blindfold so he could look into Yifan’s eyes. Meanwhile, Yifan slowly traces Joonmyun’s lips with his thumb, wanting to kiss him. Yifan’s hand makes it way onto Joonmyun’s nape, and he tilts his head downward. Joonmyun tiptoes and places a hand on Yifan’s jaw and closes his eyes in anticipation. Yifan giggles, but he goes in for the kill. He presses his lips on Joonmyun’s, and it marks their first ever kiss. It’s long and sweet.  
   
Yifan pulls away from the kiss, resting his forehead against Joonmyun’s. He then scans Joonmyun’s face. Joonmyun smiles and bites his lower lip. Yifan turns beet red, hoping Joonmyun didn’t see him blush profusely.  
   
Yifan looks back, and sees his other surprise has not made its appearance yet. He laces Joonmyun’s hand with his and runs to the middle of the beach, dragging Joonmyun along. They sit on the middle of the beach, with Yifan staring at the horizon.  
   
Yifan lets go of his hold on Joonmyun. He then slithers his hand on Joonmyun’s lower back and ends up holding his waist; he taps Joonmyun motioning him to move closer to him. Joonmyun moves, closing any gap between them.  
   
“What is it you wanted to show me?” Joonmyun asks. Yifan points to the horizon.  
   
The sky is still dark blue, mixed in with its light hue, with a hint of yellow and pink, and a smudge of orange at the bottom—signalling a new day.  The sun slowly ascends to join the skies, and Joonmyun marvels at the scene. Yifan does his best to look at the rising sun, he really does, but he’s fixated with Joonmyun who grins at the sunrise. Joonmyun’s face lights up, literally, as the sun highlights his pale skin, and Yifan believes that the sun—his sun—is right in front of him.  
   
“Whoever said sunsets are romantic, have never seen a sunrise before,” Joonmyun says, smiling. “This is completely breathtaking and beautiful, Yifan.”  
   
“Yes it is,” Yifan mumbles, gazing at the short brunet. Yifan believes this is the best first date he’s ever orchestrated, and hopes that it’s also the last.

 

 


	3. A Future With You

“What’s the time of the reservation again?”

Yifan blinks, distracted from buttoning his shirt up as his boyfriend walks out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel attached to his hip. He closes his eyes, trying to clear out his thoughts as the sound of Joonmyun’s footsteps is approaching his wardrobe just a few feet away from where Yifan is standing.

“Eight-thirty,” he answers, finally taking the courage to open his eyes and finishing on the buttons. The white cotton shirt still fits his frame well, despite that Joonmyun bought it for him two years ago. He hasn’t gained much weight, but the workouts he has done for past five months have definitely done something for his figure. He picks up the pot of styling gel, pausing to turn to look at his boyfriend.

Joonmyun is struggling with a pair of pants that Yifan hasn’t seen him wearing for quite a long time. He knows that Joonmyun isn’t comfortable in that too tight pants, but that’s the finest piece that he has in his wardrobe. He only wears it on special occasions.

“Ah. I haven’t dried my hair,” Joonmyun muses, after he finally manages to zip up his pants. He slightly shivers as he looks for a top to wear. Yifan takes three long strides across the room to find the air con remote and turn it off. “Thanks,” Joonmyun blinks in surprise at him. “I’ll take a few more minutes. Perhaps you would want to heat the car’s engine now.”

“Okay.” Yifan walks up to him to press a soft kiss on his slightly wet temple. “Don’t take too long,” he says before retreating out of the room.

They are going to celebrate their fifth anniversary tonight. Yifan has arranged the dinner reservation at a restaurant Baekhyun recommended. _It’s definitely the setting you would want to have,_ his friend said, _totally the romantic Joonmyun hyung always dreams about._ It only takes about thirty minutes from their apartment to the restaurant, and Baekhyun has spent most of his time listening to Joonmyun’s rambling during college times, so Yifan boldly took the advice.

The thing is, he wants tonight to be memorable to both of them. Not only because it’s their fifth anniversary celebration, but also because Yifan has something to surprise Joonmyun with.

Yifan lets out a sigh as soon as he is sitting on the driver’s seat in the car. He lets his hand touch the left pocket of his pants, where a bulge of small box could be felt, but not visible. Feeling slightly relieved, he turns on the car engine to heat it up. It’s going to take a while.

Leaning back on the seat, Yifan finds himself touching the ghost line of the box again. It has been in his mind this entire week: to propose to Joonmyun.

He knows for sure that he wants to spend his future with that certain man, to be the first face Joonmyun sees in the morning and the last face he sees in the night. He wants to wake Joonmyun with kisses and cuddles every morning and stops him from leaving the bed. He wants to drink the coffee Joonmyun makes in the morning and the tea he makes when Yifan feels down. He wants to be able to pull Joonmyun’s glasses away when he is working in front of his laptop and kiss the frown away every night. He wants to share his life with Joonmyun.

Yet there still are doubts prickling underneath his skin as he thinks of the possibilities of Joonmyun refusing the ring. There is no doubt that Joonmyun wants the same, of course. But the timing…

The passenger door opens, startling Yifan from his thought. He smiles as Joonmyun slides into the seat next to him. The younger decides to put a coat over his forest green sweater, the whiff of his signature cologne catches Yifan’s nose, making him feel slightly dizzy. He squeezes Joonmyun’s thigh, mostly to assure himself of the other’s presence next to him.

Joonmyun chuckles. He clasps their hands together briefly before he lets go. The brief warmth goes away too quickly. “Let’s go, before the food goes cold.”

 

 

 

ʚɞ

 

 

 

“Good evening. Can I help you, Sir?”

A waiter is waiting in front of the grand wooden door that leads them to the restaurant. Joonmyun shifts on his feet, feeling a little bit uneasy after their long trip to the 33rd floor with the elevator. Yifan feels apologetic, so he puts his hand on the small of Joonmyun’s back, comforting him silently.

“Reservation under name Wu Yifan, please.”

The waiter seems to be confirming to his friend who sits behind the reception table, and turns to smile at them. “Please come this way, Sir.”

Yifan lets Joonmyun walk in front of him, following the waiter diligently. He smiles in delight when Joonmyun lets out a soft squeal as they are being led to the table next to the glass window where the cityscape lies before their eyes. On the corner of the room there is a band playing live music, some jazzy songs Yifan couldn’t recognise. It sets the mood right. He is glad he chose the place.

“You’re kidding me,” Joonmyun says as he presses his nose to the window, ignoring his twenty-something-almost-thirty age and acting like an easily amused five year old kid that he actually is. “I can’t believe you actually reserved us this table.”

Yifan grins. “I was hoping you would like it.”

Joonmyun turns to look at him. His expression is intense; there are so many going on his eyes. “I love it, of course.”

“I’m glad,” he smiles.

Another waiter comes up to their table, bringing their wine. He carefully pour each of the glass the same amount of wine. Joonmyun watches it intently, his eyes glinting with excitement. Yifan has to smile at that. He nods as the waiter bows, finishing his task already. He lifts up his glass, encouraging Joonmyun to do the same.

“For the five years we have spent together, and more years we are going to,” he says, causing Joonmyun to chuckle delightfully.

“Cheers,” says Joonmyun, the corners of his lips almost reaching his eyes, before he tips the glass to take a sip of the wine.

 

ʚɞ 

 

Joonmyun finishes the last bit of his lemon sorbet just as Yifan puts back his phone into his pocket. The younger smiles at him, “Who was that?” His hand reaches up to take the tissue to clean the little mess on the corner of his lips.

Yifan smiles apologetically. They usually have rules to put away their gadgets on their anniversary nights, because the night is meant to be their only own. “No one, I’m sorry.” He reaches out to take Joonmyun’s hand in his and squeezes it briefly. “Is the food good?”

“You’re avoiding my question,” says Joonmyun, frowning slightly. “But yeah, it’s good. Thanks for taking me out tonight.” He frees his hand away from Yifan’s grip. He rummages through his coat’s pocket, fishing out a small brown gift box with a yellow ribbon tied around it. He puts the box in Yifan’s neglected hand. “Congratulations for succeeding on keeping up with me for these five years. It’s a reward.” Joonmyun leans back in his chair, smiling excitedly as Yifan examines the gift box.

“Should I open it?” He asks, quirking up an eyebrow at him.

Joonmyun laughs. “It’s not much, though. Please don’t expect a Maserati key inside.”

“Hmm. Ducati, then?” Yifan teases him, finally opening up the box.

He doesn’t find any keys inside. Instead, he takes out a simple plaited dark grey leather with stainless steel ends and a tiny silver charm in the form of a crescent moon attached to it. In the box is a card that reads:

 

 

_I love you to the moon and back_

_(beyond all the stars in the sky)_

_xx,_

_KJM_

 

 

“It’s a couple,” Joonmyun says, his face looking flustered as he pulls the sleeve of his coat enough to reveal a matching bracelet.

“Thank you.” Yifan beams. He lets Joonmyun put the bracelet around his left wrist. It is a nice addition, he has to admit. His boyfriend sure has taste. “I have a gift for you, too.”

Joonmyun smiles, “I would be angry if you don’t.” Yifan chuckles nervously. He can be pretty sarcastic sometimes.

He puts his gift, wrapped in forest green paper that actually matches his sweater, in front of his boyfriend. “There is a rule, though,” he says. “Only open the gift when I’m in the toilet.”

“Why? I would not be disappointed with anything you give to me, even if it’s a novel.” Joonmyun eyes the gift, which is obviously a book. It’s okay, though, Joonmyun loves books.

“No, it’s not that.” Yifan shakes his head, slowly standing up. “Wait until I disappear okay?”

Joonmyun narrows his eyes, feeling suspicious. But he doesn’t ask. “Okay. Don’t go too long.”

“I won’t,” assures him.

Joonmyun doesn’t actually wait until Yifan disappears behind the wall with a toilet sign to open his gift up. He is a curious man, after all. It is a book, as he has expected. A version of _The Little Prince_ that reminds Joonmyun of his first meeting of his boyfriend in the bookstore. It still feels weird, to accept a sudden love confession after he was just reading a book to a little girl. He smiles at the memories, slowly flipping the book open.

In the first page, just in the empty space below the title, is Yifan’s neat handwriting in black ink, highlighted in yellow: things that fall

He flips through the pages, noticing how Yifan has highlighted some words with the same color as he did in the first page. They have connection, Joonmyun realizes, as he keeps finding words that fall. By the end of the book is another of Yifan’s handwriting in the same highlight: and i, for you.

Joonmyun couldn’t help but chuckles, flipping through the pages again as he puts the words together.

 

 

_things that fall_

 

_petals_

_tears_

_snow_

_sun_

 

_and i,_

_for you_

 

 

“This song is dedicated to the smiling mister who sits by the window.”

Joonmyun’s head snaps up at the familiar voice booming through the restaurant. In the corner where the band plays, his boyfriend is standing behind the mic. “What in hell—” he mutters under his breath, suddenly embarrassed that almost everyone’s attention in the restaurant is now directed at him.

_“What are you doing?”_ he mouths, hoping Yifan would catch it from across the room. But the tall man just smiles, leaning into the mic again once the music plays.

 

_Forever can never be long enough for me_

_To feel like I've had long enough with you_

_Forget the world now, we won't let them see_

_But there's one thing left to do_

_Now that the weight has lifted_

_Love has surely shifted my way_

_Marry me_

_Today and every day_

_Marry me_

 

 

Yifan finishes the song smoothly. He doesn’t forget any of the lyrics, which is a miracle. He comes down from the stage stumbling, almost losing his balance as the whole restaurant claps and makes some catcalls. He hopes Joonmyun would be okay with the publicity, and that he’s not adding any pressure to his boyfriend by doing so. People stand and pat him in the back as he walks down to where Joonmyun is waiting for him, face flushed pink.

He stops right in front of Joonmyun, eyes locking with him. He falls on his knees, pulling out the small box that has been residing in his pocket since the beginning of this evening. Opening it up, he reveals a simple silver band that took him hours to pick even with the help of Kyungsoo and Jongdae, Joonmyun’s long-term best friends that Yifan has often relied on for gift choices.

“Five years you have been in my life, and I couldn’t see my future otherwise. I know this is a grand gesture to our relationship. We haven’t talked about this, but I thought about it over and over and the answer is always the same,” he takes a deep breath, “Will you marry me, Kim Joonmyun?”

“Wu Yifan,” Joonmyun’s voice is soft and calm, washing over Yifan’s nervous body as he leans down and asks, “Are you sure about this?”

Yifan chuckles, hoping to ease the tense, “I wouldn’t have done this if I was unsure, Joonmyun.”

Joonmyun bites on his lower lip. His eyes look like they are glistening, but that’s probably his imagination.

“Sit on the chair,” he says after a pause. He ducks his head down, obviously not comfortable with how some people are still looking at their way. Yifan starts to feel bad.

He gets up on his legs and sits on his chair, hesitating if he should pull the ring box and put it back in his pocket. “So, um—“

“Well?” Joonmyun looks up at him, his cheeks still flushing pink, his eyes glinting with challenge. “When are you going to put the ring on my finger?”

Yifan’s eyes widen up in surprise. “Are you saying yes?” He asks, almost stuttering as he speaks.

Joonmyun laughs in delight, “Were you thinking that I would say no?”

“Honestly? Yes.” Yifan smiles. He could feel his cheeks starting to heat up as he picks the ring and slides it down Joonmyun’s finger. It fits him perfectly. “I love you so much. Thank you for willing to spend your future with me.” He pulls Joonmyun’s hand, pressing a kiss to the ring, and then up to his knuckles.

“I love you, too, you cheeseball.” Joonmyun smiles warmly.

Yifan laughs at the nickname, gripping at Joonmyun’s fingers tightly. It seems like he would have to bear the nickname for the rest of his life, and he is totally okay with it.

 


	4. More Than Perfect

 

A soft knock on the door takes the young man’s attention away from the full-length mirror. He shifts a bit to the side, revealing a reflection of a woman in her early 50’s on the mirror, all dolled up for one of the most memorable moment in her life – her only son’s wedding.

She walks towards his son and takes the black silk bow tie from the man’s large hand – the hand that once just big enough to wrap around her finger, now grown so large it easily swallows hers. She tips a little on her toes to wrap the tie over his upright collar.

“After this, someone else will do this for you.” She expertly weaves her fingers, magically producing a black butterfly knot sitting on the young man’s neck.

He holds her calloused hands and presses them against his cheeks. These were the hands that fed him, bathed him, put him to sleep; they’ve become coarse and wrinkled over time. The look that he gives to his dearest mother says a thousand words of gratitude.

She takes in the features of her now matured son. “Now my little fatty is going to become a husband,” she sighs.

He wraps his long arms around his mother’s lithe waist. “And you’re going to earn a new son. A very cute one at that,” and continues it with a smile that speaks _‘and we will always love you’._

A knock on the door interrupts their solemn moment.

“Sorry to disturb you guys,” a velvety voice follows. The mother and groom-to-be turn to the door, and they were greeted by a cheerful man none other than Kevin Shin, Yifan’s long-time best friend. With a pout on his face, he informs them, “But the other groom is about to arrive.”

Yifan’s mother pats him on the shoulder and whispers a soft _‘see you outside’._

Turning to the mirror for the last time, he checks his ensemble carefully: chic black tuxedo over a same coloured shirt with a purplish-pink orchid boutonniere pinned on his left chest, and smartly-styled hair on point. He looks dashing to whomever is looking. But somehow, something is lacking. Then after a while, it occurs to him.

His other half is not by his side to complete him right now.

When he passes by the door to head over to the wedding hall, Kevin blocks his way, hand spread out in front of him, asking for his phone. He hesitates for a while before fishing out his phone from his pocket, typing out one last text message to his spouse-to-be.

 

_Can’t wait to kiss you_  

 

 

ʚɞ

 

 

The red traffic light changes to green. Joonmyun’s father shifts his right foot off the brake and onto the accelerator, driving the black Mercedes Benz towards its destination.

Joonmyun takes in the view along the road. _One more turn,_ he tells himself, _one more turn_ and then you’ll get to meet him.

He feels a vibration in the left side pocket of his pants. When he retrieves his phone, the car comes to a halt. His parents alight from the black car, and Joonmyun steals a chance to read the message Yifan has sent him.

A knock from the other side of the window takes his attention away. He opens the door and steps out of the car, only to have a fancy flower bouquet shoved into his hand.

“Take this. And I need your phone,” rushes Kevin.

“But I need to repl– ”

“Kris’ phone is with me right now.” Kevin says matter-of-factly, using Yifan's English name. "He won't get to see it," he adds as he grabs Joonmyun's phone and tucks it in the pocket of his jacket.

When he is about to usher Joonmyun’s parents into the hall, Kevin feels a soft tug on his arm. Turning, he sees Joonmyun holding out a small piece of ripped paper to him.

 

ʚɞ

 

 

Waiting for Yifan at the podium are Chanyeol and Baekhyun, the masters of ceremonies; and Jongdae, their wedding officiant. When the four of them are together, Yifan is bound to be the of the joke, helpless as he accepts whatever comes to him. As much as he tries to laugh with them, it is as clear as day that he is actually nervous – judging by the trembles he has in his laughter. The trio glance at each other before Chanyeol stands beside the groom, placing an arm around his shoulder.

“Don’t worry, hyung, everything will be just fine.”

_Hopefully,_ Yifan mouths.

The last few weeks had been literally hell for them; what not with the sudden change of venue, their wedding photographer bailed at the last minute, and Joonmyun nearly called off their wedding due to immense stress. But he should not think of what had happened, instead he should focus on what is going to happen now because finally it has come – the day where Wu Yifan and Kim Joonmyun will be getting all the blessings from their friends and families – and it will be as perfect as it can be.

Kevin rushes to where the MCs are standing, informing them that the other groom has arrived. Yifan follows Jongdae’s lead to the middle of the stage only to be stopped by Kevin.

“Here,” Kevin produces a piece of paper from his pocket. “Someone asked me to give you this.”

Before moving towards his spot beside the stage, he pats the groom on the shoulder, a silent form of bidding good luck to his friend.

Piano music from the sound system fills the hall. Yifan quickly unravels the paper, eyes drinking in the words written there. The message works like a charm, pacifying the storm of nervousness inside him:

 

_I can’t wait to kiss you too_

 

 

 

Yifan releases his pent-up breath, and watches Joonmyun’s parents take their seats in the front row. He looks over to the other side, smiling as his mom gives him two thumbs up.

The moment Joonmyun invades his line of vision, his breathing literally comes to a halt. His ears can’t hear a thing; eyes can’t see anything other than the person who is walking down the aisle.

_Pretty_ is not a common adjective to describe a man, but there is no other word that could cross Yifan’s mind as he takes in the view of Joonmyun striding down the aisle in an all-white attire with a bouquet of red rose and pale-pink orchid in his hands. Yifan has no idea how an angel looks like in real life but if there’s any representation of it in human form, Joonmyun will be the one.

When light hits Joonmyun’s hair, only then does Yifan realize that Joonmyun has dyed his black hair back to auburn. The memory of their first meeting flashes inside his head like a movie, making Yifan realize that no matter how many times he’s seen Joonmyun, the latter still manages to take his breath away.

Back then, he wouldn’t have dreamed of getting married with Kim Joonmyun. Yet here they are.

They look complete like this, standing side by side, the colour of their suits complementing each other. From Yifan’s vantage point, he can see the top of Joonmyun’s head.

“Nice hair,” praises Yifan. _Think I won’t notice?_

The end of Joonmyun’s eyebrow quirks. “Thank you.” _You better._

They should be paying attention to the wedding officiant who is delivering his welcoming speech right now but Yifan seems to have another thing in mind. The way the light hits Joonmyun fascinates him to no end, and he can’t stop staring. A soft jab on his ribs comes as a warning; _look forward._

“Sorry,” whispers Yifan. “You’re too beautiful.”

The blush that appears on Joonmyun’s apple cheeks informs Yifan that he is now forgiven.

“And now I invite Wu Yifan to give his vow to his partner,” Jongdae points the mic to Yifan, holding it in place while signalling him to take out his written vow. Yifan produces a piece of folded paper from his jacket and grabs the mic from the wedding officiant.

“This maybe too cliché but it is what I have always wanted to say and I hope that all of you would hold on to your shoes.” The crowd bursts into laughter and Yifan proceeds to read what he has prepared the night before.

“I remember you were telling me that you wanted to have the perfect wedding, so we gave our best to make it happen, even though it means sacrificing good night sleeps and sparing a mountain of phone bills. I saw the joy in your eyes, the glee in your voice as you told me how perfect our wedding would be.”

The brilliant beam on Joonmyun’s face gradually softens as he recalls the time when they were snuggling on their couch, with Yifan lending his arm to use as a support when Joonmyun told him about the cake that he chose and the songs that he picked for the wedding. And for every time Joonmyun had asked _‘It’s going to be perfect, right?’_ , without fail Yifan would always answer with a _‘Yes, baby’._

“But no matter how much you plan, unexpected things would happen. I remember you were crying on my shoulder saying that you have failed me, failed us. But I don’t understand why you were saying that. Because for me, having you right here in front of me, is already more than perfect for me.”

The smaller man’s lips begin to tremble and he tries his hardest not to look down to hide his glistening eyes.

“From today onwards there will be more moments where things won’t go our way, but I promise you that when they happen, I would always stay by your side. I love you.”

Joonmyun mouths his reply of _I love you too._

Jongdae takes the mic from Yifan and announces Joonmyun’s turn to read his vow. The officiant exchanges the mic he is holding with the bouquet in Joonmyun’s hand, then steps away from the couple.

The sound of Joonmyun’s exhaled breath passes through the mic and he starts.

 

“I cannot promise never to be angry;

I cannot promise always to be kind.

You know what you are taking on, my darling –

It's only at the start that love is blind.”

 

Yifan should’ve expected that Joonmyun would give his vow in a poem, and it makes him feel inadequate for not preparing one for his groom. But he knows Joonmyun wouldn’t mind, for he had meant every single word that he had said just now, and it’s all that matters.

 

“And yet I'm still the one you want to be with

And you're the one for me – of that I'm sure.

You are my closest friend, my favourite person,

The lover and the home I've waited for.”

 

If Yifan paid enough attention, he would’ve noticed that the poem was from Joonmyun’s book collection, and that he has already read it before. But the way Joonmyun delivers makes him forget that it is Wendy Cope’s. It sounds more like Joonmyun’s own heart and soul being translated into words. And for that he is thankful for Joonmyun has found a shelter in him.

 

“I cannot promise that I will deserve you

From this day on. I hope to pass that test.

I love you and I want to make you happy.

I promise I will do my very best.”

 

The accomplished look on Joonmyun’s face makes Yifan’s heart burst with pride. He can’t wait to take Joonmyun into his arms and seal the vow with a kiss, but they have one more thing left to do.

“Yifan and Joonmyun, the vows you have exchanged are words that are fleeting, and the sound of them is soon gone. The wedding ring becomes an enduring symbol of the promises you have made.”

Yifan takes off the ring on his right pinky, while Joonmyun, the ring on his right index finger.

“With these rings as a token of commitment and love, please slip the rings all the way onto your husbands’ fingers.”

Yifan feels trembles – whether from his hand or Joonmyun’s he isn’t sure – as he holds the smaller’s hand onto his upturned hand. Yifan places the ring on the tip on Joonmyun’s ring finger and holds it there until Joonmyun urges him to just get on with it.

“Don’t ever take it off okay?” begs Yifan as he pushes the ring to its destined place.

As he takes his turn to slip the ring on Yifan’s finger, Joonmyun threatens to kill Yifan if he ever loses the ring, to which Yifan responds with _I’d never_ , and a kiss on Joonmyun’s banded finger.

“And now, I pronounce both of you eligible to change your Facebook status to ‘Married’.”

The spectators laugh together with the couple for thinking that it is just a joke, but no one expects Kevin to come up on the stage and hand them their partner’s phone.

“Before we proceed to seal the vow with a kiss, I need the grooms to log into their partner’s Facebook account.”

Waves of murmur come from the crowd. The grooms have a baffled look on their faces when their Facebook profiles are projected on the canvas hanging above the podium.

The clueless expressions that the couple have right now amuses the crowd (and Jongdae, the mastermind) to no end.

Yifan stares at Joonmyun phone’s locked screen, uncertain of what the passcode may be. He tries 2205 - Joonmyun’s birthdate - but it’s proven to be wrong. Next, he types 0522 yet it still doesn’t work. Trying his luck, he types 0611, revealing the home screen with a picture of them as the wallpaper. Yifan’s heart swells at the fact that Joonmyun puts his birthdate as the lock code.

Meanwhile, Joonmyun is having a leisure time breaking Yifan’s phone code because it is as simple as 0000, but surprise fills him when he sees a collage of his own face, from his ridiculously sleepy to sassy to pouty expressions, decorating the background.

Jongdae ensures that both of them are on their Facebook profiles before asking both of them, “Now please change your Facebook status to ‘Married’.”

Two boxes of new status updates pop onto their timeline, and that news is awarded by a thunderous clap from the crowd.

Both of them look at Jongdae in excitement, waiting for the official signal.

“Oh yes,” Jongdae takes their phones away and rushes to the podium where Baekhyun and Chanyeol are standing before shouting, “YOU MAY NOW KISS YOUR GROOM!”

They share a moment of silent agreement before Yifan leans in and Joonmyun stands on his toes so their lips meet each other. They have kissed a thousand times in every possible way, and every time is not less special than the other, except for today (and their first kiss).

As the flash ignites and the shutter goes off, their first kiss as husband and husband is captured for eternity.

 

 

 


	5. Swept Away

 

“Hello there, handsome stranger.”

Joonmyun looks up from the SkyMall catalog on his lap. “How can I help you?” he asks with a teasing grin, brushing his auburn hair out of his eyes.

“Is this seat taken?” Yifan asks, gesturing towards the empty seat to Joonmyun’s right.

“No,” Joonmyun replies, playing along. “But it’ll cost you.”

“I’ll pay anything.”

“A kiss, then.”

Yifan glances around to check that nobody else is watching, and then he leans down to give his husband a quick peck. He settles down next to Joonmyun, who has the faintest trace of a pout in his brow and lips.

“That was a disappointing kiss,” Joonmyun whines. “I demand a refund.”

“We’re in public,” his husband chuckles. “Just be patient a little while longer, and you’ll have me all to yourself for a week.”

“You still haven’t told me where we’re going yet,” Joonmyun grumps.

“It won’t be a surprise if I tell you!” Yifan replies in a sing-song voice. “For now, just relax and get some rest. You’ve had a long day, now let me take care of everything from here on out.”

Joonmyun reluctantly rests his head against his husband’s shoulders, and Yifan holds onto Joonmyun’s hand while the smaller husband drifts off to sleep.

When they reach their destination, the air is hotter, and the sun shines brighter than what he remembers from Gangnam. All throughout the airport, people are speaking a rapid, musical-sounding language unfamiliar to Joonmyun’s ears. Yifan hails a taxi in the foreign tongue, and the words sound even more alluring in Yifan’s mouth.

“Do you know where we are now?” Yifan asks, and Joonmyun nods.

“I think I have an idea.”

 

 

Joonmyun’s eyes widen in amazement as the taxi pulls up to the beachfront resort, a warm paradise with soft sand, crisp waves, and fruity drinks. He rubs his thumb against the cool metal of the silver band encircling his ring finger. Everything feels so surreal, would he really be spending a week here with the man whom he can now call his husband?

“Come on, let me show you our honeymoon suite,” Yifan laughs, amused by the look of quiet wonder on his husband’s face. “We can play in the ocean later, we need to get unpacked now!”

He links their fingers and leads Joonmyun across the sand to their beach hotel. It’s a slow trip as they sink into the sand with each step they take. Joonmyun peels his shoes off so he can feel the sand between his toes, but the sand is so hot that it burns the soles of his feet, and he scampers towards a palm tree to stand in its shade.

“Do you want me to carry you?” Yifan calls out, continuing to slowly drag their suitcase through the viscous sand.

“No thank you!”

“Suit yourself.”

A few moments later, Yifan grunts in surprise when Joonmyun sprints towards him and jumps on his back.

“I changed my mind,” Joonmyun whispers, and Yifan pretends to grumble as he carries Joonmyun to their honeymoon suite.

Their suite is spacious and modern looking, featuring a large bed swathed in ivory linens in the middle of the room. Joonmyun pounces onto the bed as soon as he enters the room, and he bounces up and down on the mattress as Yifan starts ping their suitcase.

“What are you doing?” Joonmyun giggles breathlessly. “Come jump on the bed with me.”

“We’re grown men,” Yifan mutters as he searches for their swimming suits.

“What kind of excuse is that?” He picks up a giant, fluffy pillow and whacks Yifan on the back with it. “I challenge you to a duel!”

Yifan drops the bottle of sunscreen that he had been holding in shock and turns around to stare at Joonmyun, who is wearing a wide grin full of mirth and mischief.

“Challenge accepted,” Yifan growls as he springs onto the mattress to grab Joonmyun’s ankle.

Joonmyun shrieks and flails around for a pillow to defend himself with as Yifan tries to tickle his belly. They tussle around on the bed until they are tangled in a disarray of sheets and pillows, and Joonmyun is sitting on top of Yifan’s chest, pinning his wrists down onto the mattress.

“Okay, okay, I forfeit!” Yifan concedes, and Joonmyun smiles triumphantly. He leans down until the tips of their noses are touching, and then he tilts his head to kiss Yifan’s mouth.

“Thank you,” Joonmyun whispers. “For everything.”

 

 

ʚɞ

 

 

“Yifan, it’s too dark now to wear sunglasses. You look so dumb.”

Joonmyun kneels next to his husband, who had spent the entire afternoon lazing on a lounger and soaking in sunshine. But now, the blue sky is saturated with saccharine reds, purples, and oranges as the sun begins to set. Joonmyun had spent the afternoon splashing around in the ocean and building sandcastles, fantasizing that he and Yifan were living in them as princes. When he needed a break from his shamelessly childlike activities, Joonmyun would curl up against Yifan and press his cheek to his husband’s back, breathing in Yifan’s distinctive scent mingled with the smell of sunscreen.

Yifan obediently pulls his sunglasses off, and Joonmyun snickers when he sees the faint, pale outline of where Yifan’s sunglasses had been.

“What are you laughing at?” Yifan mumbles sleepily.

“Nothing,” Joonmyun says innocently. “Did you just take naps the whole afternoon?”

“O-of course not.”

“Sure.” Joonmyun hums absently, as he runs his fingers through Yifan’s hair. “Hey, Yifan. The beach is clearing out. Do you want to go in the ocean with me for one last dip tonight?”

“I don’t know...maybe tomorrow…”

Joonmyun turns to pout at Yifan with the saddest, most disappointed looking eyes he can manage. “But what if the waves wash me away?”

He squeaks when Yifan suddenly scoops him into his arms in a bear hug. “Nobody takes my Joonmyun away from me,” he whispers fiercely. “Not even the ocean.”

They wade into the water together, holding hands, until the water is up to Joonmyun’s neck. His toes brush the ocean floor, and he bobs up and down, trying to keep his head above water.

“Can you hold me, Yifan?” he asks.

“Is that even a question?”

Yifan’s palms brace Joonmyun’s waist, and he lifts him into his arms. Joonmyun circles his arms and wraps his legs around Yifan’s torso, resting his chin on Yifan’s shoulder. Yifan angles his head to kiss him, tasting the salt on Joonmyun’s velvety plush lips. He watches the sunset as Joonmyun rests his cheek on Yifan’s shoulder with a sigh. A few minutes later, Yifan feels warm droplets on his skin.

“Hey, Joonmyun, are you okay?” he asks gently. “Are you crying?”

“N-no,” Joonmyun sniffles. “It’s just ocean water.”

“Baby, why are you crying?” He rubs Joonmyun’s back soothingly as the ocean waves caress their bodies.

“Everything is so perfect. Our wedding, our honeymoon, our marriage. You. I can’t believe this is real life,” Joonmyun sighs. “It feels like a dream that I never want to end.”

“Today is only the first day,” Yifan assures him, tenderly pressing his lips to his husband’s forehead.

 

 

 


	6. Tomorrow We Would Soar Even Higher

 

The house is quiet when Yifan stumbles in. Toeing off his loafers at the doorstep, he glances at the clock; it’s almost 7 in the evening. A frown slowly materializes on his face as he searches for the whereabouts of his family. He drops his briefcase on the couch and pads towards the kitchen.

He pauses in the hallway when his eyes catch sight of the photo frames lining on the wall. A small smile unknowingly makes its way across his lips as his fingers trace a huge photo displayed. There’s him, and standing next to him with a lovely wide smile is a man whom he likes to refer to as his other half – Kim Joonmyun. He’s slotted beside him and Yifan’s heart swells when he sees a silver band around the other’s finger. It matches the one on him.

The swelling in Yifan’s heart throbs pleasantly as he drags his fingers further across the photo. In the same photo, there are two beautiful children, a baby boy and a little girl that they adopted after their marriage, and Yifan and Joonmyun are holding each one in their arms.

Yifan sighs a little. He doesn’t remember the last time he and Joonmyun had proper dinner together. He doesn’t remember the last time he played with his kids. He doesn’t remember the last time they went on a vacation together as a family. The throbbing in his heart starts to ache as he realizes how much he’d been neglecting his family ever since he got promoted. Long hours of work cause him to return home when his kids are already in bed and he could only kiss them goodnight as he murmurs apologies to them each night.

Yifan’s thoughts dissipate when a hushed murmur reaches his ears. He perks up and turns to the kitchen, where the sound came from. A soft whispery voice reverberates again, and he begins to panic, imagining worst case scenarios in his head as he makes long strides towards the kitchen. However, before he could—

 

“Surprise!”

 

Yifan blinks, his mouth gaping when he sees Joonmyun holding a candlelit cake with their daughter, Ara. The light from the candle shines their grinning faces, igniting an iridescent glow and Yifan thinks they look beautiful. He feels a small tug at his trousers and he smiles widely when he sees their one-year-old son, Yunsang, making grabby hands at him. He picks Yunsang up and kisses his cheek, causing the toddler to gurgle in happiness.

“Papa, Papa! Happy birthday, Papa!” Ara cheers, bouncing on her heels as she proceeds to bring the cake to Yifan.

“Be careful, Ara,” Joonmyun says, his hands hovering around the cake protectively.

Yifan kneels to match his daughter’s height and leans down to plant a kiss on her cheek. “You prepared this for me, princess? You’re such a good girl,” Yifan coos, his free hand patting her hair.

“Daddy made the cake!” she exclaims. “I helped by putting the decorations on and lighting the candles. Oh, Yunsang helped too! He sang his favorite songs so that Daddy and I wouldn’t get bored!”

Yifan and Joonmyun chuckle at the girl’s remarks. Yifan looks up at Joonmyun, whose face is dusted pink. “Thank you so much, honey,” Yifan says, feeling immensely grateful before facing his children again. “Thank you to you too, my pretty princess and my little prince.”

“Now, let’s sing a birthday song to Papa, okay? Can you do a good job at it, Ara, Yunsang?” Joonmyun says, poking at Yunsang’s sides.

“Of course!” Ara claps her hands excitedly and then, they start to sing. Joonmyun’s gentle voice mixing with Ara’s enthusiastic singing and occasionally followed by baby Yunsang’s incomprehensible burbles complete the birthday song. It’s out of tune and a bit chaotic but Yifan thinks that’s the best birthday song he’s ever heard.

“Papa, make a wish and blow the candles, please!”

Yifan closes his eyes and he wishes for his family to stay healthy and for them to be happy forever. Without realizing it, a stinging sensation fills his eyes and he feels an overwhelming feeling of happiness wash over him. When he opens his eyes, his vision blurs slightly. Ara’s smiling face greets him and he can’t help but smile back before blowing at the candles.

“Happy birthday, Yifan,” Joonmyun’s soft voice whispers near his ear and he turns to look at the affection brimming out of the latter’s eyes. Joonmyun’s thumb hovers near his face before swiping at the corner of his eyes. Yifan keeps Joonmyun’s warm hand there, clasped at his cheek and then he kisses each knuckle in gratitude until his lips reach the silver ring around the other’s fourth finger. His lips press longer there, an earnest display of affection that he wants Joonmyun to know.

Then, Yunsang starts whining and struggles in Yifan’s arm. Joonmyun laughs and takes the boy into his embrace, kissing him in the process.

“It’s past his bedtime now,” Yifan grins as he ruffles the toddler’s hair. “Papa’s sorry for keeping you up, Yunsang-ah.”

“I’ll tuck him in and be right back,” Joonmyun says and exits the kitchen, singing lullabies softly to soothe Yunsang’s cries.

Yifan turns to look for his daughter, who has been uncharacteristically quiet, and he suppresses a laugh when he spots the little girl sitting at the table, her face full of cream from the cake.

“Oh my God, look at you,” he chuckles and proceeds towards the table.

“Papa, it’s delicious!” Ara announces and pokes a finger into the cake before smearing white cream on Yifan’s cheek. Giggling gleefully at Yifan’s exaggerated shocked face, she flees before her dad could take revenge on her. Of course, she couldn’t run very far and the two are immediately engaged in a cake fight.

(Joonmyun, unfortunately, is soon dragged into it.)

 

ʚɞ

 

 

Later that night, Yifan sits at the couch, holding a drawing and a birthday card in his hands. The drawing is a present from Ara; a picture of their family standing in front of a building that looks like some sort of a castle. He chuckles to himself when he sees a blue dragon guarding the castle. He recalls making Ara pout cutely when he thought that it was a winged hippopotamus. “It is a beautifully drawn dragon, Papa!” Ara had insisted when Yifan pointed it out earlier. “And it is our pet!”

The clock strikes nine and as if on impulse, Ara lets out a big yawn. Yifan watches fondly from the couch as she struggles to keep her eyes open and frowns at the movie playing on TV. He puts the drawing and the birthday card away.

“Ara, come to Papa, sweetheart,” Yifan says, opening his arms wide and Ara makes a beeline into Yifan’s arms and buries her face on her father’s chest.

“She must feel exhausted,” Joonmyun remarks, giggling at his daughter’s cute actions. “She was so excited about surprising you and refused to take her afternoon nap, offering to help me instead.”

“She’s such a sweet girl,” Yifan whispers and hoists Ara onto his lap before kissing the crown of her head. The girl snuggles closer, her small fists clutching at Yifan’s shirt tightly.

“Papa, please read me a bedtime story tonight?” she mutters, looking up at Yifan with drowsy eyes.

“Of course, sweetie,” Yifan says, standing up and letting her head rest on his broad shoulder. “Have you brushed your teeth?”

Ara nods, her head lolling as she does so and Joonmyun pats her back gently, mouthing at Yifan to carry her to her room before she falls asleep in his arms.

After tucking his little girl in bed, Yifan reaches for the small bookshelf not far from him. He should get her a new shelf now that this one is almost full, he mulls to himself. It seems that Ara has developed a fondness for books. She’s like a mini Joonmyun, who couldn’t lift her head from a new book once she’s gotten herself immersed in it. Even though she can’t read yet, it’s great to see that she tries to understand the story by looking at the colorful pictures and illustrations before having her dads read it to her.

Yifan’s eyes catch a thick book tucked at the corner of the shelf and he picks it. It’s a pop-up book that he and Joonmyun gave to her as a birthday present last year. Yifan caresses the book fondly. It’s The Little Prince; the book that made him fall in love with Joonmyun.

Yifan begins to read it to his daughter, who has been waiting impatiently under her duvet. He reads the part where the little prince and the pilot found a well in the middle of the desert. He points to the pop-up pictures on the page, poking at the prince’s paper scarf and causing Ara to giggle. When he reaches the ending, Ara is still listening attentively even though she knows the story by heart.

“…you will know who he is. If this should happen, please comfort me. Send me word that he has come back. The end.” Yifan closes the book gently and puts it aside. He Ara’s long hair, lulling her to sleep.

“Papa?” Ara’s small voice reaches him and he hums, looking down at her. “Will the little prince be back from his planet? Will he visit his friends again?”

“Hmm, I think he will,” Yifan answers, his fingers playing with Ara’s dark locks. “Because the little prince is an explorer and when he misses the fox and the pilot, he’ll visit them.”

“And will he bring his beautiful rose, too?”

“Yes, he will definitely bring his rose and show her to his friends here,” Yifan says, smiling proudly. “Now, go to sleep, princess. It’s getting late.”

“Mm, goodnight, Papa,” she mumbles, pulling at her duvet. “Goodnight, Daddy,” she adds, glancing at the door with a sleepy smile.

Yifan doesn’t realize that Joonmyun has been standing at the doorway. The latter walks in and presses a kiss to Ara’s forehead, wishing her sweet dreams. Yifan turns off the light and murmurs a goodnight to his daughter before kissing her forehead too.

Once the door to Ara’s room is shut, Yifan winds an arm around his husband’s waist, causing the other to yelp. Yifan suppresses a laugh and brings a finger to his lips, signaling for Joonmyun to be quiet. Joonmyun punches his arm half-heartedly, mumbling that it’s the other’s fault.

“How long have you been standing there?” Yifan asks once they are laid in bed, cuddling close to each other with Joonmyun’s back meeting Yifan’s chest. Yifan’s right arm rests heavily on the smaller man’s waist while his other arm lies below Joonmyun’s head. He tucks his chin on the other’s shoulder, nuzzling at his neck once in a while.

“Well, long enough,” Joonmyun replies, his lithe fingers toying with Yifan’s hand and pulling at the latter’s long fingers playfully. “It’s been a while since you last read a bedtime story to our daughter. I missed listening to you.”

“I’m so sorry,” Yifan says suddenly, his heavy breath ghosting on Joonmyun’s ear. “I realize that I haven’t been spending much time with you, with our family and I regret that deeply.”

Joonmyun turns to face Yifan. He cups his husband’s face lovingly and presses their lips together for a chaste kiss.

“Please don’t say that,” Joonmyun whispers. “It hurts me when you say this kind of stuff. We can always make up for lost time, you know.”

Yifan falls silent. He takes Joonmyun’s hand and kisses it again. His fingers caress the silver ring on the other’s finger. It’s a habit that he’s developed. He likes to feel the subtle weight of the ring, likes to trace the simple carvings adorning it with his fingertips, getting used to it over and over again and immortalizing the patterns within his memory. It still seems surreal that they complete each other now but the rings on their fingers never forget to remind them that.

“Thank you for everything, honey,” he whispers, pressing their foreheads together. “No words can express how much I love you, how much I love our children. Thank you for today, too. I honestly forgot that it was my birthday today.”

Joonmyun smiles warmly. “You may forget your birthday, but you never once forgot mine and the kids’ birthdays. You’re a great husband and an amazing dad. I’m the one who should be thankful.”

Yifan flushes at Joonmyun’s words, his face obviously coloring. “No, you, my darling, are the most wonderful husband in the world. I shall take you to the planetarium that we went to for our first date and then we’ll have dinner at the restaurant where I proposed to you,” he says, grinning. Joonmyun beams at this, feeling more than pleased. Then Yifan’s eyes turn darker, slightly hooded when they trace the outline of the other’s smile. “Now,” he whispers hoarsely. “I believe you said something about making up for lost time, hm?”

Joonmyun wants to roll his eyes at Yifan’s line but he certainly can’t complain now. Not when Yifan’s looking at him like this, like he’s the only one he sees; not when he can feel the furious thumps of Yifan’s heart against his chest. They may have been married for many years but sometimes it still feels like the first time they met in Minseok’s book cafe.

When Yifan holds him a little tighter, presses their bodies a little closer like this, Joonmyun thinks it’s perfect.

 

 


	7. The Good Kind of Hectic

 

Their alarm goes off at six in the morning, but Yifan and Joonmyun are already awake. “Here we go again,” Joonmyun squeaks, turning over in bed to give Yifan a weak smile. He’s trying to sound brave, but it’s not working. Yifan appreciates the effort; after all, he’s nervous too.

“We’ve done it once, we can do it again, right?” Yifan asks, clearing his throat anxiously. He’s asking Joonmyun for a reassurance more than anything else, and his husband merely nods, unable to shake that feeling that it’s going to be just as difficult the second time around.

They roll out of bed, Joonmyun into the shower and Yifan into Yunsang and Junseok’s room. Junseok can sleep, but Yifan shakes Yunsang gently. “Yunsangie? It’s time to get up, baby. Today’s the big day!”

Yunsang wakes up slowly, looking at his father. “Papa,” he smiles, and Yifan gives him a kiss on the forehead.

“You ready for school? Are you excited? What do you want for breakfast?” Yifan asks, clearly more nervous than his five year old son. Yunsang politely asks for strawberry milk and Yifan whisks him into the kitchen to get their day started. For himself and Joonmyun, two strong cups of coffee are definitely necessary.

Joonmyun comes out of the bedroom, hair clean and dry, taking over for his husband. They share a peck on the lips before Yifan heads into the shower. Once Yunsang is equipped with breakfast and strawberry milk, Joonmyun goes to wake Ara, who is already very good about getting ready for school quickly.

“But Daddy, I don’t want to get up,” she complains, much to Joonmyun’s surprise. No, no, they can’t have any delays today.

“Sweetheart, don’t you want to cheer on Yunsang? It’s his first day of school!” Joonmyun coaxes. “We even have chocolate milk!”

At the mention of chocolate milk, she gets up out of bed groggily, and Joonmyun praises the lord that it was not more difficult to get her out of bed than that. He hurries back into the kitchen after her, clapping his hands. “Okay, you two, what do you want for your lunches?”

“Kimbap!” they both cheer, and Junmyeon groans. He can make it - he can make it quick - but it’s time he could spend doing other things. He’s just lucky he has the vegetables sliced and the rice already cooked.

He’s making the kimbap when Yifan comes back from the shower, ushering the children upstairs to get dressed. When they come back, the children are wearing their uniforms, and Joonmyun pauses for a moment to look at his kids.

“Wow, Yunsangie, look at you! What a big boy!” he exclaims, and Yunsang puffs up with pride. Ara interjects “Daddy, do you think I look pretty?” she asks, and Joonmyun assures her that she looks absolutely beautiful. Yifan takes Joonmyun’s waist, kissing him on the cheek.

“We’re raising some cute kids, aren’t we?” he whispers, and Joonmyun grins.

“We certainly are.”

Joonmyun turns back to the kimbap when Yunsang notices a problem. “Daddy!” he cries. “I want egg in my kimbap!”

“No, sweetie, we don’t have eggs; I’m sorry. You can have eggs next time, okay?” Joonmyun says, rolling up the seaweed.

“No! I want eggs today!” he whines, and Joonmyun frowns at him.

“We don’t have eggs, kiddo,” Yifan says, and Ara echoes her father cutely. “Anyway, the kimbap Daddy is making is going to be great even without eggs. You’ll get eggs another time, I promise.”

“I want eggs!” Yunsang screeches, and Yifan merely picks him up, bringing him to the living room to have a talking to. Joonmyun sighs, hoping it wouldn’t come to this as he packages the kimbap. They don’t have much time now; it takes fifteen minutes to drive to the children’s school on a good day, which means they have to leave in about ten minutes. They don’t have time for delays.

Just as Joonmyun sends Ara to go get her hairbrush (because her hair looks like a bit of a bird’s nest), Junseok starts crying from the bedroom. “I’ll get him,” Joonmyun calls to his husband, who’s still scolding Yunsang about the eggs. This morning is not going as planned. He heads into the boys’ bedroom and picks up their wailing infant son out of his crib. He bounces the baby up and down, trying to get him to go back to sleep, but it’s clearly not going to happen.

“Daddy! I got my hairbrush!” Ara calls.

“Try brushing your hair yourself, sweetie!” Joonmyun replies. He changes Junseok’s diaper before putting a onesie on the baby and bringing him back to the kitchen. He’s stopped crying, for now, and Joonmyun hopes that lasts.

Ara appears in the kitchen, and to Joonmyun’s horror, the hairbrush is stuck in her hair. “How on Earth does your hair get like this?” he cries with exasperation, and he’s about to put Junseok in his baby basket when Yifan comes back into the kitchen with Yunsang.

“Tell Daddy what we agreed on,” Yifan says, and Yunsang looks at Joonmyun shyly.

“Me and Papa are going to buy eggs after school. So maybe we can have eggs in kimbap later,” he says, and Joonmyun smiles.

“Good idea, Yunsangie, You’re a good kid.” Junseok starts crying again and Joonmyun bounces him again. “I’ll get the formula, Yifan, can you brush Ara’s hair? I don’t know how she got it this way.”

“I was trying to to brush it myself, like you said!” Ara retorts defensively, and Yifan frowns, looking at his watch. They really should have left already. He pulls the brush out of Ara’s hair carefully and then attempts to smooth down the mess of tangles and knots on top of her head.

Yunsang watches Yifan brush Ara’s hair while Joonmyun calms Junseok with some warm baby formula. “Ara, does it hurt?” Yunsang asks, and Ara smiles cutely.

“No,” she says. “Papa is good at brushing hair. He’s even going to style it for me, right Papa?”

“Am I?” Yifan asks, finally looking proud at how Ara’s hair now looks slightly less like a bird’s nest. He ties Ara’s long hair up into a topknot and puts a bow on it, hoping that will satisfy their little fashionista, and it does, thankfully.

“Am I extra pretty now, Papa?” Ara asks, and Yifan does think he’s raised a gorgeous little girl.

“Am I pretty too?” Yunsang asks loudly, and Yifan grins.

“Yes, Yunsangie, you’re also pretty! I have such pretty kids,” he kneels down to hug the two children.

“It’s because Daddy and Papa are so pretty,” Ara says very matter-of-factly.

“Okay, okay,” Joonmyun cries, rushing into the room with Junseok sound asleep on his shoulder. “We need to get going, we need to go now. We’re going to be late!”

“Don’t worry,” Yifan assures him as he ushers the children out and into the car, “I’m sure there won’t be any traffic.”

He’s dead wrong. There’s an accident on the road and traffic is moving at a snail’s pace. To make matters worse, Junseok starts crying and Yifan attempts to sing a lullaby to the crying child while Joonmyun yells at rude motorists in front of him. “How are they so bad at driving?” he says, hitting the brake hard.

“Daddy, if we’re late it’s bad!” Ara cries, and the clamor in the car just gets louder and louder.

It seems like ages until they get to the school - the two school-aged children are seated in their classrooms only about two or three minutes late - a miracle, really. They make sure to give Yunsang extra kisses and hugs and reassurances that he’ll have a great time on his first day of school and that they’ll be back to pick him up as soon as school is over.

“I love you Daddy! I love you Papa!” he smiles, waving cutely has his parents leave the classroom, Junseok still in Yifan’s arms.

“Do you think he’ll be okay?” Yifan asks, and Joonmyun nods.

“He’ll do great.” But Yifan is tearing up, and Joonmyun laughs a little. “Really, Yifan, he’s our second child and he’s the most outgoing. We know he’ll do well.”

“What? I’m not crying. Are you crying? I’m not,” Yifan insists, and that has Joonmyun laughing outright. “Let’s never send Junseok to school. I can’t stand to leave them here all alone,” Yifan says, frowning at his husband whose face has turned red from laughing. “Seriously, Joonmyun, please.”

“You know they’ll be great here,” his husband says reassuringly, rubbing his back in comforting circles. They get back in the car, Junseok well-secured in his car seat before they head back home. Junseok is crying the entire way home, which makes Yifan stop crying to soothe the baby.

When they finally arrive home, they collapse on the couch, Junseok cradled in Joonmyun’s arms. “This does take quite the toll, doesn’t it?” Joonmyun asks over Junseok’s cries. “Shh, sweetie, it’s sleepytime now.” He sings to Junseok and Yifan Junseok’s hair gently until the baby finally, finally falls back into a deep slumber.

Yifan switches his attention to his husband, who he pulls closer to him for a deep kiss. “I love you,” he says softly. “You know, honestly, I’m so glad we got married, so glad we adopted kids, so glad we’re happy together.”

“Yifan, now you’re going to make me cry,” Joonmyun says despite the massive grin blooming on his face. “I love you too, honey. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. You and our kids. No matter how hectic it gets.”

Joonmyun leans onto Yifan’s shoulder, kissing him quickly before settling down into a comfortable snuggle with his husband and their baby. It’s true, it can get hectic. But this life, this feeling of satisfaction and love and belonging - it’s all worth it.

##  _The End._


End file.
